An old shoe…that’s what one “old timer” recently told me black drum fight like. I’ve heard comments like this before, but I can’t for the life of me figure out where that reputation comes from! On the contrary, a big black drum is one of the most stubborn, tenacious, and hardest-fighting species I’ve had the pleasure of doing battle with.

 Each spring, usually sometime in April, these oversized croakers begin to filter into the Delaware Bay in preparation for their annual spawning ritual. Depending upon water temperatures, the fishing usually heats up in early May and last until mid-June or so, before these fish exit the bay. The peak fishing periods most often coincide with spring tides - periods of peak current flow surrounding the full and new moons.

   2008 was no exception. The season started out very slow. Almost nothing in April, and early May left drum anglers disappointed, as well. But everything changed as the May 19^th full moon approached. On Friday, May 16^th all hell broke loose in the bay, with most boats returning to the dock with double-digit catches. The action only got better and the month progressed, and seemed to peak during the new moon phase in early June. Luckily, that’s exactly when we decided to bring the cameras and show our viewers exactly how awesome this fishery can be.

 

 

Black drum are bottom feeders, and spend lots of time rooting around the bay floor for the crabs and crustaceans on which they feed. These fish are perfectly designed for this feeding method. A number of barbles hang from the underside of their inferior mouth, which help them detect food amongst the mud and sand. Their throat is lined with rows of pharyngeal teeth, which can crush the shells of crabs, clams, oysters and such. The meat is swallowed, while the hard parts are spit out. This resourceful feeding method has a side-effect that drives anglers crazy; it makes them near-perfect bait stealers! Despite their huge size (black drum are commonly caught over 80 pounds and fish in the 100-pound class are taken each year) they rarely do little more than peck at a bait. In fact, most drum bites are mistaken for that of dogfish and skates. A rod left in a rod holder will rarely hook a drum. An angler must be astute, and must treat every bite like it’s the desired quarry.

 

 

We ALWAYS start out by deploying a chum pot filled with clam chum, crushed clams, or clam bellies. Of the three options, the bellies work best. The hold scent longer and seem to draw fish better. The pot is lowered to the bottom and tied off amidships so that the line is tight and the rocking of the boat helps to disperse the chum.

 

A fish finder rig is standard equipment for drum fishing. We use a braid-compliant fish-finder sleeve and about 3 feet of 60-pound fluorocarbon, topped off with a 9/0 or 10/0 Gamakatsu Octopus-style hook. Some anglers use circle hooks with good success, but we do not.

 

We have been experimenting with a few variations on the standard fish-finder rig, with good success. One adjustment is to add a dropper loop about halfway down the leader, to which a second hook is attached. This allows us to put two baits in the water instead of one, and we think results in more fish. It also allows us to present a different type of bait. A second adjustment is to add a ¼ or 3/8-oz. rubber core sinker a few inches ahead of the hook. On rough days or in fast current, this helps to hold the bait stationary on the bottom, and definitely seems to result in more strikes under such conditions.

 

A third “adjustment” has to do with baits. Although surf clams have always been the standard offering for drum, we have been using various crab baits with very good success. We’ve caught drum very well on green crabs, and have been having good success with both shedders and soft crabs that Darren brings down from his dock in the Barnegat area. Almost every drum we clean has crabs in its stomach, so this makes perfect sense. Next drum season, bring a variety with you and you’ll see what I mean!

 

 

We usually don’t go into much detail regarding location, but this year the popular spots were no secret. On the afternoon we filmed this show, we set up on the northern end of Brandywine Shoal at an area known as the Pin Top. There were a few boats present when we arrived, but by the time we called it quits in the later afternoon we had over 100 boats strewn across the top of the shoal. Good fishing also existed in Tussy’s Slew, and a bit further up the bay at the Horseshoe and near the Banana Peel, as well. Very few boats from Cape May bothered to run over to the Delaware Side of the bay (Slaughters Beach). This year, there simply was no need.

 

If you haven’t ever hooked up with one of these behemoths, you don’t know what you’re missing. Next spring, hop aboard a party boat or book a charter. Or, don’t be afraid to trailer your own boat down to Cape May and give it a whirl yourself. Armed with fresh baits and a reasonable knowledge of the Delaware Bay, you can get in on some of the best inshore fishing anywhere. The black drum fishery might just be Jersey’s best. Get in on it!